Multi-layer circuit boards contain and/or include electrical components which selectively and operatively populate opposed first and second surfaces (i.e., top and bottom surfaces) of each board (or other respective interior portions of each of the boards), thereby desirably allowing each of the electrical circuit boards to contain and/or include a relatively large amount of electrical components which efficiently and densely populate the respective boards.
It is desirable to allow for communication by and between and/or interconnection of the component containing surfaces and/or portions of an electrical circuit board, thereby allowing the contained electrical components on each side of the board (or within certain interior portions of the board) to cooperatively and selectively interconnect to form one or more desired electrical circuits. This communication and interconnection may require the use of shared electrical ground planes, the transmittal of electrical power and/or control type signals between each of the component containing surfaces and/or the component containing board portions, and/or the selective and physical connection of various contained components.
One common type of interconnection utilized and/or formed within these types of circuit boards is a connection from a conductive layer or member to a ground layer or ground plane. Conventional methods for connecting a conductive layer or member to a ground plane include “wire bonding” and “end soldering”. These conventional methods however cannot be used within multi-layer electronic circuit boards, due to the inherent structure of the boards. Moreover, other prior methods for physically and electrically interconnecting conductive layers or portions and ground layers or portions of multi-layer circuit boards are often relatively complicated, costly and time consuming. These prior methods have also resulted in relatively unreliable or defective connections to be formed, thereby causing certain portions of the formed circuit boards to be unusable or to malfunction.
There is therefore a need for a method for producing a multi-layer electrical circuit board which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated drawbacks of prior circuit boards and which provides for relatively uncomplicated and reliable physical and electrical interconnections between conductive layers and ground layers of the circuit board.